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10 Jobs That No Longer Exist

Plenty of odd jobs exist today that didn’t exist 10, 20 or 30 years ago – social media analyst, app developer, etc. – but we’re not exactly awash with career ideas, either. So what happened to all of those old, interesting jobs? This list of pictures will go over a few weirdest and best jobs that have gone the way of the dinosaur.

The disappearance of the majority of these ways to make money can simply be attributed to technological advances. Modern bowling alleys have elaborate systems that collect balls and pins, so pinsetters are no longer necessary. With the spread of proper refrigeration, the cool job of ice cutters became a thing of the past.

While the world’s hordes of unemployed students may disagree, it’s probably a good thing that most of these jobs are gone. Some of these lines of work were very dangerous, and some even employed children. For a better look at child labor, check out our post on historical child labor in the U.S. (via: sharenator)

2. Human Alarm Clock

Knocker-uppers were essentially alarm clocks – they were hired to ensure that people would wake up on time for their own jobs. They would use sticks, clubs or pebbles to knock on clients’ windows and doors. (Image credits: laboiteverte.fr)

3. Ice Cutter

Before modern refrigeration techniques became widespread, ice cutters would saw up the ice on frozen lakes for people to use in their cellars and refrigerators. It was a dangerous job often done in extreme conditions. (Image credits: sharenator.com)

5. Rat Catcher

Rat catchers were employed in Europe to control rat populations. They ran high risks of suffering bights and infections, but helped prevent these from spreading to the public. (Image credits: Michael von Graffenried)

6. Lamplighter

Lamplighters used long poles to light, extinguish and refuel street lamps – until electric lamps were introduced. (Image credits: blogs.democratandchronicle.com)

7. Log Driver

Before the technology or infrastructure was available to transport logs by truck, log drivers would float and guide them down rivers from logging sites to processing areas. (Image credits: wikipedia.org)

8. Switchboard Operator

Switchboard operators were integral parts of a telephone network’s operation before modern technology rendered them obsolete. They would connect long-distance calls and do other things that are now done digitally. (Image credits: wikipedia.org)

9. Resurrectionist

Resurrectionists, or “body snatchers,” were hired in the 19th century to remove corpses from graves for universities to use as cadavers. Cadavers from legal means were rare and difficult to obtain, so universities had to resort to other means to procure cadavers for their students. (Image credits: paul-barford.blogspot.com)

10. Lector Who Entertained Factory Workers

Broadly speaking, a lector is simply someone who reads. However, they were often hired with money pooled from workers to read to large rooms full of manual laborers to keep them entertained. Some read left-leaning or union publications to the workers. (Image credits: cultura.elpais.com)

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